Information as Property from the Scholarly Kitchen

Please note that this post is from 2009. Evaluate with care and in light of later events.

I found this interesting discussion of IP today:

Information, however, has properties that make it sufficiently different from physical objects to question whether the property model is a good metaphor for information. Unlike natural resources, information is non-depletable. Overuse of information does not lead to its scarcity, nor does it attenuate its value; in fact, it does just the opposite. Secondly, it is non-rival, meaning that my reading an article does not deprive you of reading the same article. Lastly, it is difficult to exclude individuals from gaining access to information. Information, especially in its digital form, is porous and moves very easily between people. This is why I find the Open Access metaphor so problematic.Philip Davis at The Scholarly Kitchen

The entire article, which also reviews a book by James Boyle called The Public Domain: Enclosing the Commons of the Mind, is worth a read.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Public Domain: Enclosing the Commons of the Mind (makezine.com)
• James Boyle lectures on the public domain, London, Mar 10 (boingboing.net)
• UK Events: Jamie Boyle speaking on the Public Domain (twidox.com)